


What could have been

by theconstanttruth



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode: s10e02 Founder's Mutation, F/M, Gen, Post-The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008), Pre-X-Files Revival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 19:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9622289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theconstanttruth/pseuds/theconstanttruth
Summary: I started this a while ago and just finished it. No beta reader or anything.Based on Mulder's dreams on Founder's Mutation. It might have a second chapter based on Scully's dreams





	

2010

Scully came home, their home. Mulder is dropped on the couch watching a DVD “what are you watching?” she says while putting her coat on the hanger by the door and taking off her boots. It’s winter and freezing outside. The sun was setting on her way to the unremarkable house and, honestly, she was convinced to find Mulder passed out sleeping the moment she opened the door. “2001, a space odyssey, how was your day?” he turns to face her and starts to get up to welcome her but she runs to sit next to him before he can notice. Laying her head on his shoulder she says “normal, wishing you were closer”. At this, he leans down and kisses her forehead, like he always does, like he always has done in the last fifteen years. “I know” she takes his hands in hers and kisses his knuckles. They have been happy since the entire fugitive thing have ended, and even before there were sweet moments; but some things can’t change until are fixed, and the hole in both of their hearts and souls is longing for their son every minute of the day. They try constantly to think he’s in good hands, but a mother never forgets, and either a father, even if Mulder only got to meet William for a weekend. They stay like that laying on the couch for a while, Mulder caressing her hair with one hand and holding her tightly with the other; she seems tired, eyes closed and breathing heavily. “Are you hungry?” “Of course I am. But I’ll go take a shower before if you don’t mind” “of course, I’ll prepare something in the meantime, sorry I got distracted with the silly box” he says looking down at her with a smile and pointing to the TV “it’s ok, just try to make something eatable this time Mulder, for me” and with a funny grin on her face she heads upstairs letting him think an answer to that.

He thinks about William while he cooks. Would he like space movies? Of course he will. At least he hopes so. He imagines watching TV on the couch with his young son, explaining to him every little detail normal people don’t know about the documentation of those old movies. He imagines Scully joining them at night after work, with William asleep in his father’s lap, one of those precious little moments to remember. He imagines taking him to bed without finishing the movie, and after a few hours hearing him enter their room because he has a bad dream, Mulder giving him space in his side hoping not to wake Scully, who has to go to work early. He imagines opening his eyes in the morning to see his son peacefully sleeping hugging his mother, who’s eyes are pointing to Mulder with a happy grin “the movie?” she asks “yeah, but you have to prepare them early you know” he answers, before kissing William’s copper hair. They stay like that for a while, watching their son sleep, enjoying his steady breaths and giving thanks for this miracle. Mulder imagines driving him to school every morning, because William likes to presume his dad is an investigator who have met the aliens more than once, and even when the kids don’t believe him, he always runs to Mulder’s arms after school yelling “dad! Did you find something today?” and everybody around hears him “yeah! A new meteor fell today! They say it’s natural but the witnesses say the light had a weird planned path, what do you think Will?!” he answers, his son’s face is so happy to hear it that every other parent always looks at them like they need some kind of psychological help, but they don’t say anything at this point because everybody knows Mulder’s past as an FBI agent and his curious son’s rational mother, so he isn’t in bad hands, he’s just an enthusiastic kid. “They’re coming!!!” William yells at his dad, running in the stairway and almost falling down in the steps. Mulder takes his backpack and runs his hand in William’s hair before whispering something in his ear, at that William laughs loudly. They always do that for the kids to think that William knows secrets his dad can’t tell anyone. Another kid would be ashamed by that but he isn’t, he is very proud. Mulder’s son is an artistic kid with an investigator’s soul. He imagines doing homework with him and talking about mysteries in the meantime. He imagines his wonderful son being proud of him, like he was of his father even in the worst of times.

Scully joins he in the kitchen after her shower with wet hair and wearing a robe tightly tied around her. She looks at him and knows he’s not really there; she doesn’t have to wonder where he is, just approaches him slowly from the back and put her arms around his waist, resting her head in his back. “He’s ok Mulder, and he is proud of you” she says, noticing his muscles relax at her touch.


End file.
